The Bust
by Sapphire Lee
Summary: ATF / AU- After a successful mission, Vin struggles to return to normalcy.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: ***ATF/AU* After a successful mission, Vin struggles to return to normalcy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything "The Magnificent Seven" related, Characters of M7 do not belong to me, I like so many others before me am merely using the amazing universe of the ATF, no monetary compensation received, just the pleasure of creative writing as stress relief

**Rating: **T

**Author's Notes:** This snippet fits into a larger story that exists which I created. Its my first attempt at angst. It follows most of the ATF canon, but new characters are being introduced. (My other story Beginnings lays the foundation for the events going on here. It might me helpful to read that one first.) I am posting (out of order as I finish them). I thought of this after being inspired from reading stories posted by all of you much more talented authors. I hope I have posted something others will enjoy reading.

Please be kind in your reviews! Not Betaed

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><p><strong>The Bust<strong> by Sapphire Lee

Vin had a thin hold on his control / savagery after the intense events at the bust that day. He had been pacing back and forth at the scene, he was jittery, and on edge. He felt like the crowds of people around him were squeezing out all the air. Vin knew he was always walking a fine line for self control. Tonight he felt it slipping through his fingers.

JD came up to Vin from behind and slapped him on the back in congratulations for their success, no one on their team had been injured, everyone was enjoying the heady feelings. Vin whipped around and slammed JD to the ground, with lethal force.

"Whoa, its me Vin, JD. I'm not the bad guy, we took them out remember?" JD said holding his hands up in surrender

Vin got in JD's face and snarled "Don't ever sneak up on me, if you value your life, you will never forget that" and slammed JD once for emphasis and stalked off.

Chris only caught the tale end of those actions, as his attention was being pulled in a million directions, due to the chaos of the bust and all the various teams milling about the warehouse. He walked over swiftly, lowered a hand and grasped JD's palm and helped jerk him to his feet.

"What was that all about?"

"Nuthing, I just surprised him is all" JD replied while dusting off his clothing and bullet proof vest. Chris wanted to go after Vin, but then his attention was pulled away and he went to go deal with other issues. The concern for Vin, was placed on the back burner for now.

"You want me to get Ezra to check on him?" JD inquired.

"Naw, give him some time to cool down, then you go check on him, he will want to apologize for slamming you. Call me later and update me on the situation."

JD walked over to where he had seen Vin go, but now the sharpshooter was no where to be seen. "Where in the hell did he disappear to?" JD said scratching his head. "Guess he caught a ride out of here already. That's weird, he never leaves without the team" JD walked back to where his fellow ATF agents were standing. Everyone was congratulating on the success of the mission and the fact that no good guys were lost. It was bitter sweet, since Vin not there to share the accolades with Team 7.

Back at the Federal Building

JD stored his gear, showered and changed back into his own clothes. Still no sign of Vin. JD stopped by the bullpen, no one else was there, the light was on in Chris' office. JD knocked on the door.

"Come in" came through the door. JD pushed open the door and entered Chris' lair.

Chris looked at him expectantly, " I ain't seen any sign of him" JD said tiredly as he dropped himself into a chair. Chris swore under his breath. _Where the hell had that damn tracker gone_?

"Did you inform the others?"

"Naw"

"This is what we are going to do, you go by his place, see if he's home, then call me, together, we will go see him. I just need to finish up here, then I'm out of here"

"OK, got it" JD stood and left Chris' office, took the elevator to the parking garage and got into his Chevy Tahoe and drove over to Vin's apartment. He couldn't see lights on the house. JD parked and went up to Vin's place, as he neared the front door he could hear, crashes and yelling coming from inside. JD knocked, his knock went unanswered. More crashes sounded from inside. He tried the door, it was locked. Damn! JD was getting really worried. He tried dialing Chris' number.

"DAMN IT!" no answer. He tried again. Same result. Finally, JD gave in to desperation and dialed Sherry.

"Sorry to bother you so late, but I can't get a hold of Chris. It's Vin. I need you to get here quick to Vin's house."

The blood drained out of Sherry's face "What's wrong?" she asked into the phone

"I've never seen him this keyed up before after a bust. I'm concerned he is going to hurt himself or someone else" JD responded.

"I'll be there at once. Keep trying to track down Chris, have him come at once"

Sherry knew that the many atrocities Vin had witnessed in the army and the many kills he had participated in had taken its toll on him. He had a tough exterior, an extremely hard head, but a sensitive heart.

When Sherry arrived at Vin's apartment, she found JD in the hallway. "He locked the door, he won't let anyone in. I came to check on him, since he seemed really upset after the mission we completed today. I'm concerned, I heard things getting smashed inside. "

Just then, Chris came storming up the hallway. "How is he JD? Brief me on the situation" he demanded. JD recounted the same things he had told Sherry.

"I can reach him, he won't hurt me" Sherry said with conviction.

"No way, I am not risking you, you don't know what he is like, he could hurt you or kill you, when he is out of it like this" Chris refused

"I can reach him, I can get through to him, he won't hurt me" Sherry said with certainty.

Chris was at war with himself, he knew Vin would be inconsolable if something happened to Sherry, but he was also desperate to get through to Vin before he hurt himself.

"Let me try first, then if I can't get through, you try." Sherry was already nodding acceptance before Chris finished speaking. Chris grabbed her upper arm and made her face him "Listen to me, if he makes a move to hurt you, I am taking him down, no hesitation, you got it? I am deadly serious"

"OK"

"OK…can you handle that?" Chris asked again

"Do I have a choice?" Sherry said flatly.

"Not that I can see." Chris responded. He hated putting her in danger, but if he couldn't reach Vin this time, there was no choice.

"Then yes, I'll do what I have to."

Sherry unlocked Vins front door slowly with her key, Chris peered in and cautiously entered. The door slammed in Sherry's face. She stood outside fretting and stressing. JD came over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his waist and took the comfort he was offering. There were some shouts and crashes from inside the apartment. Sherry felt like she was going to tear apart at the seams from worry. Something heavy hit the front door, then the door opened and Chris was thrown out forcefully into the hallway.

He looked slightly worse for wear and had the beginnings of swelling that would turn into a bruise on his jaw. "Well" he drawled, "Guess its time for plan B" he said meaningfully looking at Sherry.

Sherry tentatively entered Vin's apartment. It was dark in the house, Sherry was momentarily without her sight as her eyes adjusted from the bright hallway to the dark interior. It only took that second for Vin to grab her, knock her off her feet, and pin her to the floor with his knife pressed sharply against her throat.

"sssh, ssh Vin, its me, Sheridan" Sherry said brokenly, but she could see Vin's eyes were not seeing the present, they were trapped away, in some other reality for the moment. "You know Sherry, your closest friend, sister?"

Sherry could see waves of anguish crashing over Vin, demons only he could see were chasing him.

"Hay Vin, no one's going to make you do anything, there just are some really concerned folks that want to make sure you are OK" Sherry tried again, trying to break through to Vin.

"You vermin, infect the society we live in, you need to be eradicated" Vin said in a detached emotionless voice.

Gathering up her courage, she stood up to Vin, "No! You listen to me Vincent Devlin Tanner, there will not be any more eradicating, or killing this night" Sherry shouted at him.

He seemed taken back at her shout. He hesitated. She used that moment's distraction to flip him off her using her martial arts training and at the same time she wrenched the knife away from her neck, but she was not strong enough, even with the adrenaline pumping through her body. The knife dragged along her throat creating an ugly bleeding line. Sherry gasped, she could feel something wet on her neck, but in the dark it was hard to tell. Sherry used the second she had created by tossing Vin, to scramble to her knees and get away from Vin. She scurried around the kitchen table. She was keeping the table between herself and him. He stalked her around the room.

She wiped at her neck, her hand felt warm wet sticky liquid, ick, she thought. "Now Vin, how about you put that knife down so we can talk?"

"Remember how we used to play together as young kids? Wasn't that a fun time? No responsibility." She kept remenicing, trying to jog his memory of happy events.

"Remember your 13th birthday? We were so excited, they thought we were so grown up, no longer tweens, but full fledged teens. I remember Mrs. Martinez teaching me volleyball. That was one of the best days of my life. You know what the best day of my life was, meeting you in that foster home. Vin you always protected me, from all the big baddies, don't you become the biggest baddy of them all" Sherry pleaded. She kept glancing at the knife held menacingly in his hand and kept looking for his rifle. She just prayed that he didn't have that within reaching distance. She didn't want to find out if she was faster than a speeding bullet.

Slowly the knife tipped down towards the floor. Sherry pressed her advantage, "I remember graduating junior high, it was such a tremendous accomplishment for two little orphan kids. We showed them, huh?"

"It was so exciting staring high school. And intimidating, well for me at least, you were so comfortable and cocky, you walked those halls like you owned the place. I remember you coming to everyone of my home volleyball games. I was so lucky Mrs. Martinez got me an athletic scholarship to play. She was a classy lady, never looked at me like I was worthless, just because I didn't have parents."

"I remember…" came the halting voice. "Yes Vin, what do you remember?" Sherry encouraged, "Please come back to me Vin, I need you more than you can imagine. We have to rely on each other, we only got each other. It was fate that we crossed paths again, I won't lose you now"

The knife was dangling loosely in his hand. Sherry slowly edged around the table, ready to bolt back if he showed the slightest sign of aggression. Cautiously approaching Vin, Sherry touched his arm, he didn't flinch or attack. She slowly wrapped her hand around the knife handle and gently tugged it from his hand, she laid it on the table behind her. She wrapped her arms around his chest, while his arms just hung at his sides. Slowly he reached up and engulfed her in a tight bear hug. She hugged him with all of her strength.

"I got you, I got you, you're going to be OK, you're safe" Sherry soothed as she hugged and rocked Vin in her arms. Slowly, Sherry maneuvered Vin to the couch and sat with him. Suddenly, Chris was before them and JD was standing off to the side looking on nervously. He turned on a light. Sherry looked around the place, it was trashed. Vin had taken out some of his anger on the objects around the room

"We got it under control Kid, how about you head home and get some rest, you deserve it. I'll stay with Vin and Sherry" Chris said gently.

"I'm sorry I got you dragged into this Sherry" JD said

"Don't you worry about it, you did exactly the right thing getting me" She said using her reassuring teacher voice. "There is no place I'd rather be than with my family when they are hurting" Sherry continued to hold Vin tightly. JD left to go home, he felt emotionally drained. He worried for his friend and brethren. As he was leaving he dug out his cell phone and called another person who would want to be keep in the loop of events happening tonight, sine he had an interest in the people involved.

"Here Sherry" Chris passed her a towel "for your neck" Sherry looked at Chris in gratitude. Never letting go of Vin, she pressed her hand and the towel to her neck. The cut on her neck stung something fierce, she grimaced in pain.

"You need to get that looked at, it might need stitches"

"No hospitals, I don't care if it does, I'm not leaving right now"

"I can get Nathan to look at it, he patches us all up"

"That would be just fine, lets do that tomorrow, right now I am exhausted, I just want to bundle this guy to bed and hit the sheets myself"

"OK, at least let me put a dressing on that cut, don't want the blood drying to the pillow" Chris went into the bathroom and came back with the first aid kit. He pulled out gauze, cut ointment, and medical tape. It was slightly awkward, as Sherry was holding Vin in her arms. He gently maneuvered around Vin and reached her neck. Vin had his eyes closed during these events. As gently as he could, he tended the wound.

"Thanks, you have really steady hands, that didn't hurt at all" Sherry said "Preciate it"

Later that night

He lay wide awake at night, listening to the rain falling on the roof. How appropriate, that it was storming outside, it mirrored the storm ragging battering around inside himself. Vin struggled to maintain the grip on himself, he was horrified and disgusted that he had hurt Sherry and, had he killed her, he never could have lived with himself. _Would he kill to save a life? Definitely. Would he kill to prove he's right? Never. No matter how many deaths I die, I will never forget. No matter how many lives I live, I will never forget. He could only hope for numbness from the pain. There was a fire devouring his insides and he felt like he was going to explode. _ He now had a much better empathy for what Chris dealt with on a daily basis with the loss of his family. It amazed and impressed the hell out of Vin that Chris was so functional and capable at this job. He didn't let the demons take control. Of course there was the three dark years, when Chris fell into the abyss, but he pulled himself out with the help of Buck. Sherry was his Buck, and in a sense, so was Chris, for Vin.

Vin quietly climbed out of bed, Sherry would be so mad if she knew he had gotten up. After all she had nagged, cajoled, and finally pleaded him into bed in the first place. Vin remembered every painful minute of the evening, he wished it was a black out, then at least he wouldn't have to replay the events in his mind on an endless loop. Vin stood by the bedside, looking down at Sherry as she slept. He could see the bandage covering the cut along her neck where he had hurt her. Hurt at his hand. He was disgusted with himself. She was resting peacefully, so opposite to the ragging emotions he felt. He quietly walked out of the bedroom and stopped in shock. Chris was sitting on Vin's chair, sleeping. Vin stood there staring hesitantly, wondering when Chris had come in?

"I can feel you standing over there, might as well as come sit down" Chris drawled without lifting his head, but his eyes were now open.

Vin shuffled over and dropped down on the couch. "How long…"

"have I been here? Well shortly after Sherry come in and got you distracted, I slipped in and stood watch. I gotta be honest, for the first time I had my doubts about you, I did not entirely trust you not to hurt her. She did though, had complete conviction and faith in you. She never doubted you for a second, never gave up on you. I had respect for the girl before, but now, it has grown exponentially. That girl has grit and stubborn streak a mile wide"

"But I did hurt her Chris, for that I can never forgive myself. Chris I lost control, snapped, I could have seriously hurt someone. Shit I did seriously hurt her. Just a slight flick of my wrist, and I could have hit her jugular, she would have bled out on my floor in minutes"

"Hay cowboy, we have all been there, the darkest pit of despair, every person on this team, understands. But we are also there for each other, so you can't shut us out like that. I mean it, or else I will have to pound you into the ground until it gets through that thick head of yours." Chris threatened affectionately.

"I gotta leave, I need to get out of here, it feels like the walls are closing in"

"I know, I got your vehicle packed and gassed up. You go take as much time as you need, we'll all be here when you get back to help pick up the pieces."

"Chris …"

"Never you mind, you get better, then come back to us"

"Sherry…, if I disappear in the middle of the night, it will devastate her, I can't do that to her. Not after she brought me back from the edge of madness. But I can't find the words to explain right now, I need time to clear my head"

"Don't fret, I got it all taken care of, I will stay here, and when she wakes up, I will explain things" Chris reassured.

"I feel like I could lose her forever. It's too late to apologize for the things I've done. She's turning to someone else, and I am driving her right into those arms" Vin said, shaking his head and avoiding saying the name of the someone else in question.

"No, its only too late, when you are laying 6 feet under, until then, its never too late. I'm going to tell you something, now listen up and listen good, Sherry will always be with you, you hear me? She will always be in your heart, and no one, I mean, no one can take that away from you. Only you can cast that away."

Vin took a deep breath and exhaled. He thought over Chris' words, then nodded. He stood up and quietly walked into the bedroom. Chris came to the door frame to watch. Vin walked over to Sherry, he leaned down, whispered something in her ear, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She mumbled something inarticulate in her sleep and settled into peaceful slumber again. Vin turned, grabbed his boots, nodded at Chris, paused at the doorway to look back at Sherry one last time, as if he was memorizing her, he turned and walked out of the room and out of the apartment. He swept up the keys from Chris, and took off into the night. He needed to come to peace with his demons.

The hardest thing Chris has ever done, was watch his brother, his friend, walk away while in pain. But it had to be done. He sighed, and settled down into the chair he had occupied earlier. The front door opened, and a man walked into Vins apartment. Chris didn't even open his eyes this time. He knew from the sound of the footfalls, that it was not Vin, he did not expect to see Vin for some time.

"You watch him leave?"

"Yes, ah did" responded a southern voice.

"I should not be surprised to see you here. You been around all evening?"

"No, I didn't know what was going on until I got a message from JD. He wanted to make sure I was in the loop, thought I might want to come see my friend" Ezra sighed deeply. "It was for the best that I not be around, I figured I just set him off even more"

"Probably right, that man is a might temperamental when it comes to Sherry" Chris said

"That is the understatement of the year, and I should know about understatements"

Chris and Ezra just sat in silence, letting the seconds just tick by. Chris dozed slightly, Ezra, just sat thinking. About an hour or so after Vin had departed, a shout in the bedroom alerted both men in the front room that something had happened. Ezra jumped up from the couch, Chris shot out of his chair at the same moment a terrified and disoriented Sherry came tearing through the bedroom door.

"VIN, WHERE ARE YOU?" she cried. Chris caught her in his arms, she flailed her arms, thrashing. Sherry was not weak, and had extensive martial arts training. She flipped Chris on the ground and took off for the front door. Ezra grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground. Tears were pouring down her face, she was breathing hard, her heart was beating a mile a minute. Her anguish tore through Ezra, he was doubly mad at Vin for putting her through this torment and mad at himself for not being here for her before she got to this point. Ezra walked over to the couch with a wriggling, thrashing woman in his arms, Chris had stood up and was rubbing the back of his head and back where he had hit the ground hard. He shook his head in amazement at having been upended by a woman. _The guys would never let him hear the end of this_.

Ezra turned and sat down on the couch and gathered Sherry in his arms, she seemed to have worn herself out, and had quit fighting. He wasn't taking any chances that she might start fighting again and he kept her locked firmly in his arms. Ezra was rubbing her hair, arms, back soothingly, while whispering in her ear. "Oh Cherie, everything will be Ok, you'll see" She looked defeated, in a sad broken spirit way. Without words spoken, Chris picked up a blanket and laid it over Sherry's legs and draped it over Ezra. He returned to his chair and sat down.

Sherry's hot tears soaked Ezra's shirt, but he didn't care, he would willingly sacrifice a ton of expensive shirts if it would take away the anguish Sherry was experiencing. He knew for the moment the worst may be over, but come morning, when Vin didn't walk through that door, her sorrow and torment would be back. He really hoped she was strong enough to survive it without descending into a depression, or giving up on life. He fervently hoped that her love for Vin would overcome her sense of loss. He also hoped her love for him, could keep her going through the days.

December 2011

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><p>More Chapters coming<p>

Where did Vin go? How will Sherry react in the light of morning? Can the team hold everything together without one of their brethren? …

Review please, I would be interested in your thoughts, if you liked it, how it can be improved, positive constructive advice, apprentice writer here, Thanks Lee


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: No copyright infringement intended.

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><p><em>Sherry's hot tears soaked Ezra's shirt, but he didn't care, he would willingly sacrifice a ton of expensive shirts if it would take away the anguish Sherry was experiencing. He knew for the moment the worst may be over, but come morning, when Vin didn't walk through that door, her sorrow and torment would be back. He really hoped she was strong enough to survive it without descending into a depression, or giving up on life. He fervently hoped that her love for Vin would overcome her sense of loss. He also hoped her love for him, could keep her going through the days.<em>

Ezra could tell when Sherry finally drifted off to sleep, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Chris' voice drifted over quietly, "she finally out?"

"Yes" Ezra shifted Sherry to a more comfortable position, but never let her out of his arms. He held her tight all through the night, fearful that if he let go for a moment, she would shatter into a million pieces.

The first rays of dawn, peeked through the windows. "Well, this is a first, I rarely see the sun rise, start the day" the conman said jokingly in a whisper to himself. When he looked down at Sherry, her lashes were resting gently against her face. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. Ezra tightened his hold on her gently. It felt so right with her in his arms, he fantasized about waking up everyday with her beside him. He felt her arms tighten around him.

"Vin, he's gone" she said as a flat statement, not a question.

"Yes" Ezra replied. Chris had woken up at the sound of her voice. He looked around for Vin, hoping that he had returned, knowing that it wasn't going to happen.

"He left me,… he left me,… he left me…" she repeated, in a daze.

"sssh, no he didn't, he just stepped out for a little while. In the mean while, Cherie, you are going to stay with me, until he comes back" Ezra decided. Sherry didn't react to his statement. She just sat there, on the couch, tightly squeezing Ezra, like he was her life jacket and she was drowning.

"Its like before"

"Before what?" Chris asked

"Before when I thought he had died on some overseas mission and I was all alone" both men could hear the suffering and torment reflected in her voice. She may be calm on the surface, but inside she was in agony.

"We'll he's not dead, and you are not alone, got that Sherry?" Ezra punctuated his comment with a gentle shake to Sherry's shoulders. She didn't even react, it was like she was barely processing anything. She had shut down. At least she was responding to questions.

Chris' phone rang, he swiftly answered it, he stood and walked a ways away from Sherry so she wouldn't here him talking.

"Talk to me JD"

"The tracking device I placed on Vin's truck says he's in Wyoming, possibly heading towards Montana."

"Did you hide it good? For all we know, he could have found it and stuck it on a big rig"

"Yeah, I thought of that, so I place two of them, both are saying the same location"

"Great thinking, keep an eye on him"

"Yes sir Chief"

Chris turned and nodded to Ezra, who had avidly been watching Chris' conversation on the phone. At the nod, he breathed out in relief. Sherry had been oblivious to the exchange, still just holding on to him for dear life.

Just then, Josiah came in through the door. Following closely on his heels was Buck. He took in the scene in the apartment, the damaged stuff, the trance like state Sherry was in, and knew instantly what had happened. He marched over to Ezra and squatted down in front of him. "How you doing there pard?" he asked Ezra softly

"OH, you know, not too bad, how about yourself?" Ezra drawled, as if a hurricane named Vin Tanner had not recently passed through the apartment and he didn't have a woman clinging to him in shock.

"Must say, I've had better mornings. Here let me take her, you gather up her stuff and we're getting out of this place" Ezra wasn't the closest to Buck, but if there was anyone he felt comfortable handing Sherry off to, it was this man. He knew women, he knew what they needed, how they operated, what made them tick. Ezra passed Sherry over to Buck without question. Buck stood up with her in his arms, he pressed her face into his neck and cradled her. He turned and strode through the apartment into the hallway, to make sure she didn't see the activity inside.

Josiah took over cleaning up the worst of the mess, Ezra grabbed Sherry's small bag of stuff, and Ezra and Chris exited the apartment. Chris would have a cleaning crew come over and put the place to rights, under his direct supervision of course. There was some brief debate on how to transport her, she wouldn't fit in Ezra's jag, not while being held by Buck. So it was decided, Buck would climb in Chris' truck, Chris would drive, Ezra would follow in his car, and someone would come back for Buck's truck. Sherry didn't make a peep during this entire exchange. She just held on to Buck like she had been to Ezra, she didn't even lift her head from his neck, but her hot tears soaked another shirt. Once they arrived at Ezra's house, he parked in the garage and opened the door to let everyone in.

"Put her in the guest bed" he directed. Buck tried to put her down, but she wouldn't let go. He didn't want to force her, "Aw, guys, a little help here" he looked helplessly at Chris, who looked baffled by the situation. Not exactly comforting when your go-to guy, the one guy present who has been married, is confused. Ezra was downstairs organizing things there, so Chris came over and gently pried Sherry's arms off of Buck, and rolled her into the bed. She just curled up into the fetal position on her side and started shaking uncontrollably. Buck looked at Chris, Chris looked back, both men unsure of what to do to help her with her grief. Chris tried to put a comforting hand on her arm, but she didn't respond. Letting out a sigh, Buck sat down beside her on the bed. She let herself be rolled over and gathered against his side. Chris let out a sigh, not used to feeling ineffective in a situation. It was a feeling he did not like. Sherry stopped shaking as soon as Buck sat beside her.

"I'll stay here, until Ez can relieve me. Go see what is taking that man so long" Buck asked. Chris moved downstairs, to find no sign of the southern man.

"Where'd he sneak off to?" Chris asked Josiah, who had just arrived.

"He said he had an errand to take care off, be right back"

Chris exclaimed angrily, "What is so damn important that he has to high tale it out of here? That woman needs him, and he just ups and disappears? Of all the fool things…he didn't leave a note, or call one of us"

Nathan rushed into the house, in full Medic mode, "where is she?" he demanded. Chris knew better than to get in his way, he complied with the question immediately.

"Guest room, top of the stairs, first door on the right." Before he had finished the statement, Nathan was flying up the stairs.

Chris and Josiah waited downstairs. Nathan emerged about half an hour later, with Buck tailing him. "She's in shock. I gave her a sedative, it should help her sleep, but I want to keep an eye on her. She needs fluids, if she is crying to the extent I have been told, she will become dehydrated very quickly. And she needs to eat. I checked that cut on her neck, it won't need stitches if she is real gentle with it and doesn't tear it open, it should heal with minimal scaring. You did a really good job with those butterfly closures Chris. Pulled the ends of that wound together tight"

"Well, I learned from the best" he said in acknowledgment of Nathans superb medical expertise, which had come in handy on too many occasions for the agents in the ATF.

Just then JD bust through the front door carrying his laptop. He didn't greet anyone, just headed to the kitchen table and sat down, totally engrossed in what he was watching.

"He's just crossed into Montana"

"Think he will stop before he hits the Canadian border?"

"I don't rightly know, where Brother Vin will stop, but at least he's in gods country, perhaps he can find the peace he craves" Josiah replied.

"As if border patrol or lack of a passport would stop him" Buck replied proudly. "He's a member of ATF Team 7, we don't need no stinking passes" he grinned.

Coming in through the garage door was Ezra, he was carrying a medium sized animal carrier with him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Chris demanded narrowing his eyes and staring menacingly. Ezra just glared right back unaffected by the "Larabee death glare".

"I went to collect Sherry's pet from her house. If anything happened to the poor old thing, it may just finish her off. I called you, you didn't answer, so I sent you a text message, didn't you get it?"

Chris angrily grabbed out his phone, "of course I didn't get it, I would have known if you had called…Oh" his voice dropped off, blinking silently on his phone *one missed call* and *one new message* "Damn, I forgot I turned it onto silent last night and in all of the chaos today, never switched it back."

Ezra just shook his head in frustration. "Can someone please help me get this cat settled in? I have more pet paraphernalia to bring in. It amazes me that one small animal could have so many accoutrements."

"Here give me the cat" JD called out, he had just turned away from his computer. Ezra happily complied; he turned and with Chris went out to his car to bring in the last of the pet supplies. They lugged in wet food, dry food, a heating pad, cushion, litter box, litter, and toys. Piling all of the stuff on the counter, the men began sorting through it all.

"Hay Ace, where do you want to set up the kitty toilet?" Buck asked with a snigger

"Put it in the downstairs bathroom" Ezra decided.

"What's with all of the baby food?" Chris asked.

Ezra chuckled, remembering when Sherry had surprised Vin with her explanation for the baby food. JD had been there as well and he knew the story. That day had been so much fun, relaxing, and hilarious. The expression on Vin's face was priceless. Ezra chucked again.

"It for her baby" JD said with a wicked grin, remembering the events of that day at Sherry's house.

"Am I missing something? Does Sherry have a child?" Buck asked in confusion

"Naw, the cat, it is for the cat, the cat is so old, it won't eat much else" JD said taking pity on his friend, Buck still looked puzzled by a cat eating baby food.

"So Chris, hows your head feeling? Heard that Sherry tossed you but good on yur back side." JD teased

"This I got to hear" Buck exclaimed

"How did you find out about that, you weren't even there?" Chris asked with iritation.

"Oh a little birdy told me"

"Little birdy my ass, I bet it was a 6'3 birdy profiler with overly sharp eyes" Chris muttered, as his hand went up unconsciously to rub the back of his head. Nathan zeroed in on Chris. "Here, let me check that head. I bet you were going to try to slink away without telling me, weren't you?" he demanded.

Chris put up his hands in surrender and allowed himself to be checked out by the medic, while his friends and brothers teased him mercilessly.

"Perhaps we should all look into taking some martial arts classes, to improve our self defense in the field" Chris muttered...

Ezra slipped out of the room, he left the others in his kitchen and went upstairs to check on Sherry.

* * *

><p>Please be kind in your reviews! Not Betaed,<p>

Still waiting to see if the team can hold everything together without one of their own … but on an interesting turn of events, now Sherry is living at Ezra's house, who'd have thought he'd unbend enough to share personal space with someone? Wonder how this will turn out?

PS… the bit about the cat is drawn from my own 21year old cat, she stopped eating cat food and the only thing I found she would eat is the meat baby foods…vet said it was fine, and I figure might as well feed her what ever she wants at this point in her life

How was this chapter? I would be interested in your thoughts, if you liked it, how it can be improved, positive constructive advice, Thanks


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